Naomi Osaka wants to get back to World No. 1 and win Grand Slams, says new performance coach

Naomi Osaka has reunited with famous performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger, who was a part of her team last year. The German expressed high hopes that the former World No. 1 will vie for top honors when she makes her return in 2024.

Osaka has been out of action since September last year due to her pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby daughter in July, following which she resumed training for a potential comeback at next year's Australian Open.

In that context, Naomi Osaka's performance coach Florian Zitzelsberger spoke to Tennis Channel about his ward's preparation for the 2024 WTA tour season.

The German asserted that Osaka is very motivated to monopolize the women's circuit again, before joking that he hoped the four-time Major winner's opponents would be "a little bit afraid" at the prospect of facing her.

"She’s super motivated and I’m super pumped to help her. She inspires the whole team with this champion mindset: she just wants to go for it. I’m hoping her opponents will read this and get a little bit afraid of her!” he said.

He also stated that the 26-year-old is eager to become the women's World No. 1 and win multiple Major titles in the future.

“Where she is today is what makes working with her so inspiring. She wants to get back to world No. 1, she wants to win Grand Slams," he added.

Naomi Osaka's last tournament campaign came at the 2022 Japan Open. She gave a walkover to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round.

"We’re working to make Naomi Osaka into a player who can transition more effectively from defense to offense" - Florian Zitzelsberger

Naomi Osaka hits a forehand at the 2022 US Open

During the interaction, Florian Zitzelsberger also dived deep into Naomi Osaka's game. The German, who also worked with two-time Major finalist Kevin Anderson in the past, insisted that while the former World No. 1 thrived on offense, she still had a few improvements to make on the back foot.

“She’s obviously a great offense player, but I think things have changed in the game over the last half-decade where defense is getting more and more important. We’re working to make Naomi into a player who can transition more effectively from defense to offense. That way, even if she’s getting pushed into a defensive position, she can still strike an offensive shot," he said.

He also outlined the steps that the Japanese star's team will have to undertake to get her back to her old self. He said:

“To reach the highest performance, we start by returning stability within the kinetic chain, which is typically lost somewhat during pregnancy and birth. The kinetic chain runs through the core, stomach and belly, and for a long time, her chain wasn’t playing tennis; it was growing a baby!”

Naomi Osaka, meanwhile, had recently disclosed her plans to make a comeback at the 2024 Australian Open.

"I'm definitely going to perform well and be a better player than I have been last year," Naomi Osaka said to the press earlier this year. "For me, my results just made me want to try harder and be the best that I can be. I’ll be competing in Australia next year."

The four-time Major winner has already returned to training, as evidenced by a few reels that she has uploaded on her Instagram handle. She will hopefully replicate the same form in 2024 that helped her win two Australian Open and two US Open titles.